Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Lower Lake Okeechobee Discharges Could be Bad for Caloosahatchee if Rains don’t Arrive Soon
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managers cut flows from Lake Okeechobee to 450 cubic feet per second (CFS) as measured at the W.P. Franklin Lock, the water control structure that separates the freshwater portion of the river from the estuary.
Fort Myers asks Residents to Choose Between Green Space or Detention Ponds
Fort Myers could have a new green space for residents to enjoy or a new stormwater detention feature – options that 550 people will be asked to choose from in a survey to help the city decide the next incarnation of its former South Street landfill which spans four acres.
Florida Water Summit Planned by Calusa Waterkeeper
Protecting Paradise and your health are the focus of a new summit the Calusa Waterkeeper is planning. It looks at blue-green algae blooms and the impact on our health. It’s on Monday, June 24th at 5:30 p.m. at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Fort Myers.
Controversial Roundup Chemical, Glyphosate to be Banned as Herbicide on Fort Myers Beach
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, will soon be forbidden in Fort Myers Beach, making the town the first Lee County municipality to ban the controversial weed-killer. Fort Myers Beach Mayor Anita Cereceda said. “This effort has all been about water quality.”
A Dry Spell in SWFL Leads to Lower Enterococci Bacteria Levels around Lee County
With the exception of Billy’s Creek, it’s good to see fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) decline to low levels. Some residents have contacted CWK recently to indicate improving water clarity as well. These sample results are from May 21, 2019 ahead of the Memorial Day Weekend.
Rooney Roundtable on Water Quality: A View from the Outside
A recap of the Rooney Roundtable with federal, state and local officials about the public health consequences of Harmful Algae Blooms: “What is most disappointing about the participation of CDC officials is that their silence about HABs contrasts with what appears on their website.”
Blue-Green Algae Still Being Found in Caloosahatchee River & Lake Okeechobee
The seeds are planted for another blue-green algae outbreak in the historic Everglades system. Algae has been found in Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee for the past few weeks, although toxin levels are low to non-existent, according to FDEP records.
Environmental Protection Agency Sets New Water Quality Standards for Swimming
The EPA released new water quality standards setting guidelines for cyanotoxin levels in the water: 8 mg/l for microcystins and 15 mg/l for cylindrospermopsin. These recommendations are protective measures to warn people before swimming or doing any recreational water activity.
Florida Petitioned to Protect People From Harmful Algae Blooms
The Center for Biological Diversity, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Calusa Waterkeeper petitioned the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to protect the public from toxins in the harmful algal blooms that keep reoccurring in the state.
How Much Algae Toxin is too Much? Environmental Groups Urge EPA to Adopt Stricter Guidelines for Recreational Exposure
Amid rising concern about the potential health effects of toxic algae, the EPA released official safety advice that advocates say falls far short of protecting the public. Three environmental nonprofits are petitioning the FDEP to adopt the EPA’s 2016 recommendations instead.
W.P. Franklin Lock Beach on the Caloosahatchee River Quietly Closed – This Time, for Good
With no fanfare, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers quietly closed a well-loved Caloosahatchee beach. This week, staff will start sodding over the sand that slopes to the river at the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam. That hasn’t stopped determined swimmers, however.
Toxic Algae Found in Caloosahatchee River Near Franklin Lock
The weather is heating up and so is the water, and if last years summer was any indication, that’s not a good mix for water quality. Large amounts of algae were spotted near Franklin Lock and Dam this weekend, the Calusa Waterkeepers posted a few pictures of the algae build up through their Facebook page.